Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound: A Diagnostic Atlas and Text

692 Small Animal Radiolo g y and Ultrasono graphy
Fig. 6-37 A 4-month-old male Irish
Wolfhound with pain over the
midthoracic spine. A, The initial lateral
radiograph revealed a moderate
decrease in the density of the cranial
endplate of T8 as well as a slight
decrease in the width of the T7-8
intervertebral disc space (open white
arrow). B, Four weeks later there was
marked destruction of the vertebral
endplates at the T7-8 interspace as
well as significant collapse of the disc
space (open white arrow). Continued
Some reports have stressed the role of Brucella sp. in these infections, but other bacteria
such as Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and Escherichia coli apparently
are more common. * A number of other bacteria have been reported infrequently. 140-143
Aspergillus has been incriminated also in diskospondylitis, especially in German Shepherd
dogs. 144-146 Other mycoses have been reported also. 147 Infection usually is hematogenous in
origin, although direct extension from a soft-tissue infection and migrating foreign bodies
have been incriminated. 125,148 Diagnosis of the etiologic agent may be made by culture of
material obtained by fluoroscopically guided fine-needle aspiration of the infected disc
material. 149 If this is not possible, a bacteria identified on positive urine culture results frequently
correlates with the etiologic agent of the diskospondylitis.
A
B
*References 126-128, 130, 132, 135-139.